Finding the right obedience school for dogs training can be a challenging task. With the presence of multiple training methods for dogs and numerous dog trainers, it can be overwhelming to choose the right trainer for the kind of your dog.
Here are things you should consider to help you find the right trainer for your dog:
- The method used in training
When looking for a trainer for your dog, consider the method of training they use if it is the right method for your dog training. There are different methods used in dog training. Some use old ways, while others use exciting modern methods. Choose a training method that aims at rewarding wrong actions in your dog and correcting the bad behaviour.
Some trainers use old methods of punishing a dog for bad behaviour, making your dog suffer. Dogs learn more quickly when rewarded for good behaviour than being penalized for wrong actions.
- Trainer’s proven results in dog training
It would help to research the trainer’s proven results before you enrol your dog in a dog obedience school. If their trained dogs are well behaved, you will know they have good experience in training dogs. If their student dogs are not well behaved, it is a sign that the obedience school is not right for your dog.
You can visit the school and see how the student dogs are behaving to determine if it’s the right school to enrol your dog for training. However, if you visit a beginner obedience class, the dogs will not be a perfect example to demonstrate the trainer’s work. It takes a few weeks for a dog to catch up with the training. Hence you cannot judge the trainer’s ability to offer suitable training by looking for a beginner class. You have to observe the behaviour of dogs after training to determine the competence of the trainer.
- Trainer’s experience
When looking for an obedience school for your dog, choose a school with a trainer who has experience in dog training. A less experienced trainer will have difficulties in dealing with rare dog behaviours, but with a professional trainer will have diverse ways of handling dog behaviours.
Be aware that a trainer with dog training certifications does not mean they have experience in training dogs. Many certification programs do not prepare the trainer on how to handle dog behaviours in obedience classes. They only offer basic training knowledge. It is better to have a trainer without certifications but with experience in dog training.
- Condition of the training facility
A good training facility is vital for your dog obedience training. A facility with a dirty environment, distractions, lousy floor, not safely enclosed, poor ventilation and low lighting is not the right place to enrol your dog for training. An inadequate facility will affect how your dog will respond to the training even if the instructor is well experienced.
It will help if you look for a good training facility for your dog with adequate security. Suppose you get a good trainer whose facility is not that appealing, if they have safety in the facility, you should consider enrolling you dig for training in that facility because it is hard to get an excellent trainer for your dog. Weigh the trainer’s value against the facility condition as it will be worthy of accessing a good trainer.
- Does the trainer provide options for further training?
Most of the obedience schools offer basic training. They teach dog obedience skills like come, sit and eat. Consider looking for an obedience school that provides further training beyond the basic training. After the basic obedience training your dog needs to undergo additional training to help you bond more and have more fun with your dog.
Choosing an obedience school that offers more training classes for the advanced levels, saves time to look for another school after your dog completes the basic training and wants to advance to technical training. An obedience school that provides further training for your dog will be a good deal for you as it allows you to move further with a trainer whom you have an established relationship with.
- Use of safe methods of training
Due to the lack of standardized tests for dog trainers, anyone can start a dog training school as a business. There are some terrible dog trainers out there who are just in the industry for money and do not care about the safety of the training methods they use to train your dog.
However, even some good trainers with good intentions for your dog might be using unsafe methods in dog training. It would be good to visit a trainer class and look at the techniques he is using while training the dogs. Observe how a trainer handles an overactive dog, aggressive dogs and playful dogs during the class training. Learn how the trainer keeps away the reactive dog from other dogs, and if he advises the owner of the dog on what to do.
It is an unsafe method for a trainer to use other dogs as a bait to get the reactive dog to react. A dog attack can instil fear to other dogs which is a bad thing to the dogs. The trainer should have a separate class for aggressive dogs.
- Class management skills
A right obedience school for dogs should have each dog in its separate corner of the class unless it is time for socializing. They should also ensure only one dog goes off-lead at a time if they allow off lead work to prevent any accident.
Some dogs might not be friendly to others; hence the trainer should ensure the dogs keep space from each other. They should help the over-friendly dogs not to violate the keep distance rules.
Ensure to visit a dog class before you enrol your dog to see how the trainer manages the class. The trainer should not spend more time on the best student but should concentrate on all dogs equally. Look at if the trainer utilizes the class time effectively to train your dog the right things. Ensure you get the value on the money you pay for your dog training.
- Observe the puppies facial expressions during the class
When looking for an obedience trainer for your puppy, consider visiting your target trainer’s class to observe the mood of the dogs, if the puppies look smiling and enjoying themselves that is the best trainer for your dog.
A good training school should have fun activities to make the puppies enjoy the classes. Both the trainer and the dogs should be having an excellent moment in the class. There should be toys, treats, games to make the training more enjoyable. An obedience school for dogs that offers more punishments and fewer games and fun should be a school to avoid when looking for a training school for your dog.
- Does the trainer use a diverse training method or one method for all in training?
A good trainer should look for more than one method to train the dogs. Bad trainers have only one plan of training dogs. Look for a trainer who has learned different ways of dog training. An experienced trainer will always have other optional forms of training if the first method does not work on your dog.
A trainer teaching dogs how to sit from a lure to sit position might not work for all dogs. A good trainer should provide another method to teach the dog how to sit.
